View chum salmon as they return to the Columbia River
Monday-Wednesday, December 1-3, 2025
Columbia Land Trust invites you to join us for a chance to observe spawning chum salmon on the shores of the Columbia River, where they’ve been returning every winter for thousands of years. This conserved site located near the i205 bridge is one of only a handful of chum spawning salmon grounds left in the Columbia River. The return of chum salmon each December is an opportunity to celebrate the resiliency of nature and to reflect on the passing of time.
To join, please register using the links below for the date of your preference. Please complete the entire registration form, submit, and look for a confirmation email to verify that your registration has gone through successfully.
Note: Visits to this site are limited based on the schedule of low tides along the Columbia River within the salmons’ brief spawning season. If you have already joined this tour in previous years, please consider deferring registration so that others can make their first visit.
- Monday, December 1st at 8:30am – Register Here
- Tuesday, December 2nd at 9:00am – Register Here
- Wednesday, December 3rd at 9:30am – Register Here
What to Expect: We will be gathering outdoors, rain or shine, at an uncovered site overlooking the banks of the Columbia River. Please dress for cold or wet weather per the forecast! After gathering at our meeting point in Vancouver, we will carpool and caravan as a group a short distance to the viewing area which is in a residential neighborhood. Directions to our meeting point for the day will be included in your confirmation email after registering.
Our destination includes a brief walk over a short, woodchip-covered trail to a small wooden viewing platform. The presentation at this site involves about 40 minutes of standing as we provide viewing opportunities, storytelling, and time for Q&A. There is a small bench on the platform where one can take a seat as needed during the presentation. There is a restroom available at our meeting point but none on site at our viewing area.
Contact: If you have any questions about logistics or accessibility on this tour, or to make changes to your registration, please contact Peter Condra at events@columbialandtrust.org, or at (503) 847-3342.
Thank you to our event sponsors! Columbia Land Trust would like to thank our generous event sponsors who have funded our outreach efforts this year. Our gratitude goes to First Pacific Financial, The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Becker Capital, Vista Capital, Columbia Bank, PR Worth Inc, Killian Pacific, Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, Inter-Fluve, NW Natural, Trillium Asset Management.
